Traffic signal



March 20, 1934. J, P. MEEHAN 1,951,431

TRAFFIC S IGNAL Filed June 8, 1951 By iw@ llorneys AJoy/m Pee/gan,-

Patented Mar. 20,l 1934 John l?. Meehan, Los Angeles, Calif.' Application June 8, 1931, Serial No. 542,733

1 Claim.

This invention relates to traiflc signals and, particularly, to intermittently electrically illuminated signals.

An object of the invention is to provide a 5 portable electrically illuminated tramo signal.

Another object is to provide a traflic signal of simple and cheap construction.

Still another object is to provide a traflicsignal comprising a head and supporting column, in

l which electrical connection between the head and column are automatically made when the head is mounted on the column.

Brielly, .the invention contemplatesv a light weight tratllc signal comprising an indicating l head supported by a relatively small ytubular column, with a source of electric energy for illuminating the head, concealed in the tubular column.,

The source of energy is secured to an inner frame that can readily be inserted in or removed from the tubular column.V

The construction and operation of my traiiic signal is lexplained in detail in the following specications taken in connection with the drawing in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of the complete signal with the column broken to contract the drawing: f c

Figure 2 is a detail, elevational view of the signal head land the upper portion of thecolumn, 3o partlyinsection; 1 g f Figure 3 is a vertical section through the head and upper part ofthe column in aplane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the upper part of the column in the plane IV-IV, shown in Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the co1- umn showing the batteries used as the sourceof electric energy; Figure 6 is a horizontal VI-VI in Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, my trac signal comprisesas its main elements a head comprising a display plate l attached to a base section in the plane plate 2 by a vertical tubular column 3. Plate 1 has openingsl stenciled therethrough outliningany suitable word or design. In the illustration, the word Stop is shown, since these trailic signals are most commonly used to halt tralic at intersections. .The word displayed is made readily visible at all times and particularly atnight by mounting a lamp back of the plate 1.

In the particular em ent of the invention illustrated, this lamp consists of a neon tube 4 formed in a loop, as shown, and having terminal per end of which members 5 and 6.

The lamp is enclosed by a sheet metal shield 7 secured t'o the plate 1 by rivets, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and `3. The neon tube is supported in proper position by means of screws 9 passing through a recessed4 lower the shield, into anges 11 on the terminals 5 and 6 of the tube. A Thefrecess portion l0 of the shield 7 may -be vformed integrally with the shield or, as shown in Fig. 3, it may be formed from a separate piece of metal and'welded or riveted to the base of Terminal tubes 5 an opening in shield 7. and 6 on the neon tube are of porcelain or other insulating material through which are extended tube 4 to terminal plaltesV 12 and 13. Plates 12 vand 13 are securely fastened to tubes 5A metal conductors from the and. 6 by bolts 14 passing through theA terminal tubes."v

The plate 1 and shield 7 lare secured to the upper partof column 3 by a-collar 15, the up- 7, and is riveted ing shown at 16 in collar 15 is shaped The signal shown operated from an socket and comprises, and lamp already described, a ilashingswitch l-7 and transformer is shaped to fit about theshield thereto, 'one of the rivets be- The lowerv part of to form a tubular opening A the top of'column 3 in asm rig.I 2. isv adapted itc be ordinary commercial light in addition. to the 1 head 18 forl intermittently ysupplying current of suitable 1 potentialv to the terminals 12 and 13 of `switch 17 and tran an inner tubular member lg'adaptdtoslip within the tubular column edgeithereof. This ing the tubular case ber 20 having a iian top edge of column outer edge of flange the' lamp; The flashing sformer 18 vare 4 attached rto 3 andv hangfrom the top result is obtained by secur- 19 to another tubular memge 21 adapted' to `rest on the 3, (referring to Fig. 3), the

21 being iiush with the o'uter.

circumference of tube 3 to .permit the socket member 15 to slip umn 3. Tubular m wardly projecting flanges formed on their upper respectively, as shown.. and

and lower edges, these flanges are sec An insulating disc ber or similar materi ly smaller than the is positioned between the flanges members 19 and 20 by the bolts 22. smaller in diameter the flange 26 on the freely over the top of col-v embers 19 andv 20 have inured together by` bolts 22.

24 of Bakelite, hard rubal, having a diameter slight-v inside diameter of tube 3, on tubular and clamped therebetween A metal disc 25, somewhat than the inner diameter' of member 20, is secured to the l center of the insulating plate 24 by a bolt 27. Disc serves as one terminal for the secondary winding of transformer 18, and the case comprising tubular members 19 and 20 serves as the other terminal, the connecting leads from the transformer winding being secured under nuts on bolts 27 and 22, respectively.

Connections between the neon lamp terminal 12 and lplate`,25, and neon lamp terminal 13 and flange 26, are completed-by spring brushes 29 and 30, respectively, which are' soldered or otherwise firmly attached to terminal plates 12 and 13, respectively, and bear on plate 25 and flange 26, respectively.

The embodiment of the invention illusktrated in Fig. 2 will ordinarily only be used in a permanent installation, in which case connection from the flasher switch 17 will usually be made through a conductor cord 31 yextending -down through column 3 to an underground power supply circuit. In assembling this device the tube 3 is permanently xed in position, connections made between the cord 31 and the switch 17 and then the inner assembly 20, comprising members 19 and 20, inserted through the top of the tube until flange 21 on tubular member 20 rests on the top edge of tube 3. The head, comprising plate 21, shield 7 and socket member l5, is thenl dropped over the tube 3 until flange 32, projecting from the inner circumference of socket member` 15, rests on the top of flange 21.

In thisposition, referring to Figs. 3 and 4, spring 29 attached to plate 12 rests on and makes contact with the center disc 25 connected to oneend of the secondary of transformer 18, and spring 30, projecting from and connected to plate 13, makes contact with flange 26 on tube 20 which in turn is connected to the other tery minal of the secondary of transformer 18, thus' completing the electric circuit for the operation of the neon lamp.

" It should be noted that socket 15 is free to rotate-about tube 3 and that in no matter what tposition it is rotated springs 29 and 30 always make contact with center plate 25 and flange 26', respectively. When turned to the proper position, the socket 15 is secured to tube 3 by tightening a set screw 33.

' f In the preferred form of my invention, the signal is energized independently of external power vcircuits by a battery contained within the col- 'member 20, which as previously described in connecton with Fig. 3, is provided with an outwardly extending flange 21, which rests upon the upper edge of the column 3. The shell 19a has a. portion, less than half, of its front wall cut away immedately below the member 19, as shown at 35 in Fig. 6, to permit access to the interrupter 17. The portion of the shell below the interrupter 17- holds a plurality of standard dry cells 34 mounted one above the other, the lowermost cell resting'upon the bottom 19e of thershell 19a and the remaining cells being retained within the shell by clips19b. Clips 19b are used because,

vas shown in Fig. A5, the body of theshell below interrupter *17 comprises only a semicyclindrcal vthatthe"batteries are positioned concentrically within the column 3, and the front side .of the shell 19a is open. 'I hus there is a space between the batteries and the column 3 equal at least to the thickness of the wall of shell 19a.

To change batteries, the entire assembly-including tubular members 20 and 19, and shell 19a is lifted out of the column 3, the old batteries pulled out. of the shell through the open side thereof, the clips 19h spreading to permit the removal, new batteries pushed into the shell past th'e resilient .clips 19h; the batteries connected to each other and to the interrupter 17, and the assembly lowered into the column. 3. y

Of course, it is obvious that if desired the clips 19h may be dispensed with and each battery 34 permitted to rest upon the battery therebelow,

the bottom battery being supported upon the bottom of the shell.

Whenvusing the dry batteries, as described,

4flasher swftch 17 is preferably of a type in which the circuit from the battery through primary winding the transformer 18 is closed only momentarily, whereby each time the circuit is madev and brokenthrough the primary of the transformer, an impulse of current is generated in the secondary which momentarily energzes the nebn lamp 4 and produces a flashing illumination through the stenciled openingsl in plate 1,

outlinng the word to be displayed. Flashing switches of the type utilized in this invention are well known in the art, and do not form a part of this invention.

I claim:

A traic signal comprising a tubular member open at the top, an inner member fitting within and supported from the top of said tubular column comprsing an upper tubular member having an outwardly projecting flange at the top thereof', and an inwardly projecting flange at the bottom thereof, a lower tubular member having an inwardly extending fiange at the top thereof,

a disc of insulating material positioned horizontally within said tubular column between the lower flange on said upper inner member and the upper flange on said lower inner member,-

means for clamping said member between said flanges, a conductive terminal disc securedfto the center of said insulating disc and spaced from the 'inner edges o'f said flanges clamping said insulat- .ing disc, a signal head comprising a sign, an electric lamp for illuminating said sign, a socket member secured to said signal head into which terminals of said lamp project, and brushes attached to said terminals adapted to engage the said conductive plate in said disc and the lower flange in said inner tubular member, respectively, and a source of electric energy mounted within said lower tubular member and connected to said conductor plate and said flanges on said inner tubular members respectively.

JOHN P. MEEHAN. 

